Where does “deft-handed” come from?
deft-handed (English) comes from English handed, from English Hand, from Middle English hond, from Old English hand, from Proto-West Germanic handu, from Swedish hand, from Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd — hand.
deft-handed (English): Manually skillful, smooth and quick
Definitions
- Manually skillful, smooth and quick
Ancestry of “deft-handed”, step by step
deft-handed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English handed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | handed | Having a certain kind or number of hands; Having... |
| 2 | English | Hand | The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals |
| 3 | Middle English | hond | hand; Alternative form of hound |
| 4 | Old English | hand | A hand |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | handu | hand |
| 6 | Swedish | hand | A hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player |
| 7 | Old Swedish | hand | A hand; A direction; A behalf |
| 8 | Old Norse | hǫnd | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |
via English deft
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | deft | Quick and neat in action; skillful |
| 2 | Middle English | defte | Mild, polite, respectful, modest; Unexciting,... |
| 3 | Old English | dæfte | accommodating; meek; mild; gentle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | daftī | fitting, suitable |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dabaną | to come to pass, occur, happen; to fit, be... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰabʰ- | appropriate, good, fitting |